On Friday night, the San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 100-73, in Game Three to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven first round NBA Playoffs series.
After winning a close game in overtime, San Antonio returned home for Game 3 with home court advantage with the defending champion. From the tip-off, the Spurs came to play and jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first quarter. Kawhi Leonard started the game with 10 points and two steals in the first quarter, as the Spurs quickly led by nine points after 12 minutes.
In Game Three, the Spurs looked like a completely different team than the side that lost Game One and narrowly edged the Clippers in overtime for Game Two. Tony Parker helped the Spurs start strong by dribbling and driving to help kick start the offense. Parker struggled in Game One with an ankle issue and did not finish Game Two due to an Achilles issue. In Game Three, Parker played nearly 18 minutes in the first half and finished with 26 minutes for the game.
However, Game Three was about Leonard. The future of the Spurs had 16 points by halftime, along with three steals. The 2014 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player received his 2015 Defensive Player of the Year award prior to tip-off, and the 23-year-old born proved to be a force on both ends of the court.
The Clippers did not entirely fall flat early, as Blake Griffin led the way with 10 points and six rebounds in the first half to keep the visitors within eight points at the intermission. However, the wheels would come off the wagon in the second half.
In the third, quarter, San Antonio would tighten the handcuffs with Leonard leading the way. The former San Diego State Aztec added another 13 points in the third period to break the game open. Leonard outscored the Clippers 13-11 in the quarter, as the Spurs' defense and offense worked to suffocate LA's chances in the contest.
Leading by 21 points entering the fourth quarter, the final 12 minutes looked more like an exhibition than a competition. Less than three minutes into the final period, the Spurs led by 27 points. That lead would jump into the 30-point range, and none of the Spurs starters would play past the seven-minute mark.
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Leonard finished with a playoffs career-high of 32 points, which also happened to be his season high.
With the Spurs leading 2-1 in the series, Game Four will be in San Antonio on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
